Music-leaf turner



Oct. 1, 1929. w LAHT] 1,730,277

MUS IC LEAF TURNER Filed ot. 12. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

LU. E. LHHTI BY ATTORNEY.

Oct. 1, 1929. w. E. LAHTI IUSIC LEAF TURNER Filed Oct. 12. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V EN TOR.

BY .E LHHTI ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 1, 1929 UNITED STATES WILHO E. LAHTI, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA MUSIC-LEAF TURNER Application filed October 12, 1928.

This invention relates to improvements in music leaf turners.

The principal object of the invention is to provide means whereby the leaves of sheet music may be turned without employing the hands to accomplish the turning.

Another object is to produce a device which may be employed upon the music stand similarly to those commonly used by musicians.

A further object is to produce a device which is extremely simple and therefore one which is economical to manufacture.

A still further object is to produce a device wherein the pages may be turned back when desired.

Other objects and advantages will be ap parent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my device as the same would appear when in use with the standard music rack,

Figure 2 is a. top plan view partly in cross section,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevation with the cover plate removed, and

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

It is common to employ the hands to turn sheet music which necessitates the musician taking his hands away from the instrument being played. Applicant has devised an invention whereby the leaves of the sheet music may be readily turned one after another either forward or back.

In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates the base of a music stand having an upright, carrying a plate '7 having music supporting arms 8 and 9 pivoted thereto. These arms are bracketed in the usual manner as shown by the braces 11 and 12. Upon the plate 7 I secure my device which is designated as a whole by the numoral 13. A face plate 14 covers the mechanism and has a. substantially semi-circular Serial N0. 312,159.

portion 16 which overlies the gear mechanism. This semi-circular portion has a slot 17 formed therein through which arms 18 extend.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 3 it will be noted that a frame 19 of rectan ular shape and constructed of angle material serves to support a plurality of groups of slide-ways, each group consisting of a slide-way 21 and 22. W'ithin the slide-way 21 is a slide 23 upon which a rack 24 is formed. A screw 26 serves to limit the movement of the rack in one direction. Positioned within the slide-way 22 is a slide 27 which carries an outwardly projecting pin 28 upon which is pivotally supported a latch 29 having a nose 30 adapted to engage a pin 31 extending downwardly from the rack 24. Adjusting screws 32 and 33 limit the movementof this slider 27.

A shaft is shown at 34 which shaft has a plurality of gears positioned thereon which gears are so spaced as to overlie the racks 24 positioned in the different groups. These gears are designated by the numeral 36 and each has an arm 18 secured thereto. These arms are so bent as to have a ortion extending through the slot 17 as be ore mentioned. A collar 37 is positioned beneath each of the gears 36 and secured to the shaft 34 thereby maintaining the gears in alignment with their" respective racks.

A spring 38 is connected to the frame 19 and to a pin 39 carried upon the slider 27. 1 cable 41 is also secured to the pin 39, which cable is passed through the rranie 19 and is connected by a foot pedal 42 pivoted upon the base 5. It is understood that all of the cables from the various sliders are connected to a single cable after passing through the frame 19.

The operation of my device is as follows 2 Assuming that a sheet of music is placed. upon a rack and clips are secured to each of the arms 18 and caused to engage each of the music sheets, no Y assuming that all the arms 18 are toward the left hand side of the drawing, actuation of the foot pedal 42 will pull upon the cable 41, which cable has its ends connected to each of the sliders 27 consequently the sliders are all moved toward. the left of the drawing against the tension of their spring 38. As the rear end of all of the latches bear upon the next lower rack it will be apparent that the nose of each latch will miss the pin 31 and consequently the racks will not be moved with the exception of the bottom rack which is actuated by a latch 35 which is not pivoted. Therefore on the first movement of the foot pedal only the bottom rack moves thus rotating the bottom gear and its arm 18 attached thereto, thus throwing over the page of music. Upon the next actuation of the foot pedal the latch next above will now have its nose in engagement with the pin 31 of its rack bar because of the fact that the rack bar below. has moved away from the rear end of the latch thus allowing the latch to move upon its pivot. Successive operation of the foot pedal will cause the various racks to move over and thus turn an individual page. By employing a second foot pedal connected to the lower-most gear in a reversed direction, it is apparent that all of the pages may be turned back through the action of the first arm which is turned over now underlying the remaining arms.

It will thus be seenthat I have produced an invention which will accomplish all the objects above set forth.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same 7 and that various changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim 1. In a device of the character described, a frame, a plurality of pairs of slide-ways carried by said frame, a rack sliclably positioned in the upper of each of said pairs of slideways, a slider positioned in each of the lower of said slide-ways, a gear in engagement with each of said racks, means for moving said sliders simultaneously, a pin secured to each of said racks, a latch pivotally secured to each of said. sliders, the nose of said latch being normally maintained out of alignment with said pins through engagement of its rear por--' tion with the next adjacent rack.

2. In a device of the character described, a frame, a plurality of pairs of slide-ways car ried by said frame, a rack slidably positioned in the upper of each of said pairs of slide ways, a slider positioned in each of the lower of said slide-ways, a gear in engagement with each of said racks, means for moving said sliders simultaneously, a pin secured to each of said racks, a latch pivotally secured to each of said sliders, the nose of said latch being normally maintained out of alignment with VVILHO E. LAHTI. 

